Haley's 8th Birthday & Tea Party

Pinkies lifted, please! For Haley's 8th birthday she invited friends over for a Birthday Tea Party. There were lots of bite-size snacks and sandwiches, lemonade for the "tea", and lots of giggling and silliness. The girls were too old to play dress-up for it, but did ooh and aah over the decorations and table. Rob sent them on a fabulously long and involved treasure hunt for their treat bags before they decorated their own mini cupcakes.

With sunny weather and good friends, it couldn't have been more perfect. Happy Birthday, Haley!!!

Looking for a clue in the pantry.

They found the treasure, at last.

Jake won for "most sprinkles used."

They wanted to play limbo, so we obliged.

How can she be 8 already?!

A ring pop left its mark.

Later that night we had cake and presents as a family.

Alex was not shy about digging in.

New ballet clothes & shoes! Summer session starts this week.

Get ready for some DanceDance Revolution!

And The Training Wheels Are OFF!

After a little coaxing and pleading, we convinced Jake to try riding his bike with no training wheels this weekend. He was a rock star and had it down within 10 minutes. We knew he was close to ready, but it still surprised us! GO JAKE!!! He can also climb the climbing tree by himself this year, as well as cross the monkey bars - oh, the things a 5-year-old can do!

Easter 2011

I think Easter ties with Halloween for the kids' 2nd-favorite holiday (after Christmas, of course) - they look forward so much to the dying and hunting and baskets and candy. Myself, I love the season - the renewal of the Earth and our spirits after a long, dark winter. We hope you all had a very peaceful and joyful Easter!

We managed to dye all the eggs with only one major spill and a few cracked shells.

Fun to poke, but he sure wasn't going to eat it. Fine, more for me!

We kept Alex buckled in for this activity - otherwise he would have been on
the table, drinking the cups of dye.

Haley found everyone's baskets within about 5 minutes of getting home from church. Next year the Easter bunny will have to try a little harder! Alex was thrilled with his new sippy cups as well as the candy, of course.

For Haley: doll clothes, craft books, Reese's.

For Jake: Lego stickers, lego sets, and Reese's.

Of course I try to snap a picture after three hours of church and right after they found their baskets. We'll have to do formal pictures another day!

I wish I had videotaped Jake eating his Reese's bunny - he was in rapture, saying "Oh yum!" and "This is the best thing ever!" with a mouthful of peanut butter and chocolate while his eyes rolled back in his head. They are my kids, for sure!

Let the hunt begin! So nice that it was warm enough to do it
outside this year.
The Easter Bunny always leaves a trail of jelly beans to
where the eggs are hidden...

Uff-da! Basket is getting heavy.
Alex thought the egg hunt was a GREAT game!
Looking through their haul afterwards. Happy Easter!